Marcia Behar of Los Angeles enjoys the scenic beauty in the Arroyo Seco, as she walks with her dog Kiwi Tuesday, December 16, 2008. The Arroyo Seco has officially been named to the National Register of Historic Places putting it among the nation’s top cultural resources. The Arroyo runs from way above Devils Gate Dam through the Central Arroyo south under the Colorado Street Bridge to the border of South Pasadena. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Walt Mancini/SXCity)

The council voted on Monday to add barriers with a minimum 7-foot, 6-inch height along the entire length of the bridge.

Last year, the city decided to explore ways to curb suicides from the iconic bridge, which became known as “suicide bridge” during the Great Depression. According to the city, more than 150 people have fallen to their deaths from the bridge since 1919.

A task force recommended the vertical barriers, as well as blocking off access to the ledge of the bridge from its entrances.

Pasadena Public Works Director Ara Maloyan presented the task force’s recommendation to the council. He said he intentionally avoided depicting what the barriers could look like because, at this point, he wanted the focus to be the concept, not the specific design, which comes later in the process.

The 10-foot fencing that was installed last summer on the bridge’s alcoves was a temporary measure, pending the completion of a long-term solution, Maloyan said. But while two people have committed suicide from the bridge since the fencing was installed, they did not access the bridge’s ledge from the alcoves, he said, implying the fencing worked.

Walkers pass a Colorado Street Bridge alcove on Thursday, July 20, 2017 where poles have been placed to support wire mesh fencing. The City of Pasadena says the alcoves and their benches are being used by suicide jumpers to more easily get over the bridge’s fencing. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)

The solution of physical barriers was based on research that shows they successfully reduce suicides from bridges by 80 to 100 percent, depending on design variables, Maloyan said.

The specific design will be determined with community input as consultants make proposals in their bids for a contract. He estimated the project could cost between $2 million and $2.5 million and encouraged the council not to limit the design based on construction costs.

“This bridge deserves the best solution, and the public deserves the best solution,” he said.

The iconic expanse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and frequently appears in films, including most recently “La La Land.”

During the presentation, Councilman Andy Wilson raised the question of whether the cost would prevent suicides in general, or just prevent suicides from the bridge.

“My assumption would be, if someone is deterred here, they’ll go somewhere else,” Wilson said. “So is the community benefit that we just don’t have suicide on a prominent place in our city?”

According to Pasadena’s Public Health Director Michael Johnson, “these bridges have a relationship to the impulsive nature of suicides.”

No one who has committed suicide from the Colorado Street Bridge in the past two years was from Pasadena, Johnson added If suicides were prevented there, it would have a regionwide impact.

“Research says … if you erect barriers that prevent suicides in that location, it actually has an effect of an overall suicide decrease in the region,” he said.

The council unanimously approved moving forward with the recommendation, although Mayor Terry Tornek predicted there will be less agreement as the project moves forward.

“Once the specific designs get rolled out, the consensus will be much more challenging to achieve,” he said.

According to Maloyan, the design phase of the project will begin this fall.

Hayley Munguia covers Long Beach City Hall for the Southern California News Group. She previously worked as a data reporter for FiveThirtyEight and has written for The Week, the Jerusalem Post and the Austin American-Statesman, among other publications. She's originally from Austin, graduated from NYU and will pet a dog any chance she gets.